Blog posts by FLOW team and guest writers
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we invite you to share a few words about why you love the Great Lakes. Is it the water, the memories, the wildlife, or the feeling of home they give you? Your story helps show what’s truly at stake when we work to protect them. Leave a note and… Read more »
Download PDF Our invisible water crisis. Michigan faces a long-standing and largely invisible water quality crisis driven by failing septic systems. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) estimates that 330,000 of Michigan’s 1.3 million septic systems are currently failing. Untreated sewage is entering groundwater, rivers, and lakes at alarming rates. Studies… Read more »
On December 31, 2025, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Act (OSLTF) expired.1 The OSLTF was first authorized to tax oil producers in 1990, and provided funds for federal responses to oil spills and compensation for certain damages.2 Without the OSLTF, states and taxpayers may be left on the hook for oil spill costs and… Read more »
By Dave Dempsey, Flow Senior Advisor My first memory of my nephew Michael comes from playing peekaboo. Using a toy with a see-through panel, I ducked in and out of view to his appreciative baby laughter. Pretty soon he was pulling the same trick on me. He was a quick learner. I would think of… Read more »
The role of indigenous cultures in sustainably living in relationship with wetlands is the theme of World Wetlands Day, February 2. In Michigan and the Great Lakes watershed, the theme has special relevance. For countless generations, the indigenous peoples of what is now called the State of Michigan have been sustained by – and have… Read more »
January 28, 2026 Lansing, Mich. – Today in the Michigan Senate, Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) introduced legislation to establish the state’s first-ever comprehensive framework for the oversight and maintenance of onsite wastewater treatment systems, also known as septic systems. The legislation (SB 771) will modernize Michigan’s outdated approach to septic system oversight, and protect the… Read more »
Download Flow’s reply brief (PDF) Traverse City, Mich. — On January 23, Flow Water Advocates (“Flow”) filed its reply to the arguments raised by Enbridge Limited Energy LLC, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), and other Appellees in Flow’s Michigan Supreme Court case challenging the MPSC’s issuance of a permit to the company for its… Read more »
Download PDF At issue: The rapid rise of data centers in our communities Data centers are multiplying across America in response to increases in computing intensity, including the growing use of artificial intelligence. Significant growth in cloud computing, big data analytics, and cryptomining also contributes to demand for data centers. Viewed as the next job-creating… Read more »
On January 5, 2026, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), a group of organizations (including Flow Water Advocates) that are committed to protecting water resources and communities across the Great Lakes and the Midwest region, submitted comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to… Read more »
Register for the virtual public hearing on February 3, 6pm: Register here Learn more about the proposed permit: Download the fact sheet On February 3, The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will hold a virtual public hearing to give the public an opportunity to provide comments. Read Flow’s submitted comments here. … Read more »
